(HARRISBURG) – Senate Majority Policy Chair Mario Scavello (R-40) today announced a series of hearings on the topic of crime and public safety that will begin next week in Cambria County and continue throughout the Commonwealth during the next few months.
“We are witnessing a disturbing upward trend in crime across the Commonwealth, and we owe it to Pennsylvanians to step up and help,” said Mario Scavello, Majority Policy Chair. “The goal of the hearings is to gain a better understanding of what is driving the increase in crime in our communities and to discuss tools to help law enforcement better protect our citizens.”
A top priority for Senate Republicans is to ensure Pennsylvanians feel safe in the towns, cities, and communities that they call home. These hearings on crime and public safety will help legislators better understand the trends in crime from law enforcement and key stakeholders to position the legislative branch to create more effective policies that match our Commonwealth’s economic goals with our community objectives throughout Pennsylvania.
“I welcome the Senate Majority Policy Committee to the 35th District and look forward to discussing ways we can effectively combat crime in our communities,” said Senator Wayne Langerholc, Jr. (R-35). “As crime has increased on the national, state and local levels, we must take steps to stop it. Having dedicated the better part of my career to law enforcement as an Assistant District Attorney, I appreciate and welcome the testimony of my esteemed former colleagues across all disciplines of law. It is my plan to identify and subsequently implement policies to stop this dangerous trend.”
The first hearing will be held on Monday, April 25, 2022, at 1:30 p.m. at the Cambria County Courthouse Courtroom 1, 200 South Center Street, Ebensburg, Pa. The next hearing will be held in Lancaster County.
“As a strong supporter of our law enforcement community, I am eager for the Senate Majority Policy Committee to hear directly from Lancaster County police chiefs, human trafficking victim advocates, and other local experts on the issue of crime and public safety,” said Senator Ryan Aument (R-36). “I’m confident their expertise will provide useful insight to me and my legislative colleagues on the committee as we collectively seek to support policies that empower law enforcement to keep our communities safe.”
Unfortunately, when it comes to crime in Pennsylvania, we are witnessing a rise in senseless acts that are hitting the core of our communities. Most recently, Philadelphia experienced one shooting per hour throughout a 24-hour period resulting in more than two dozen victims, and in the City of Pittsburgh, over Easter weekend citizens experienced a mass shooting incident that included 11 individuals who were shot of which two teenagers were killed.
Contact:
Erica Clayton Wright (Senator Kim Ward) ewright@pasen.gov
Christine Zubeck (Senator Scavello) czubeck@pasen.gov
Gwenn Dando (Senator Langerholc) gdando@pasen.gov
Stephanie Applegate (Senator Aument) sapplegate@pasen.gov